I haven't done a series review in some time, which might have something to do with the fact that I haven't binge-read a series in some time! That changed in the last two months when I sped through the Truly Devious books by Maureen Johnson. I enjoyed all the novels, which together create a series that is clever, fun, and engrossing.

I read Truly Devious when it first came out in 2018, then re-read it in December since I couldn't remember more than its very basic plot. The series opener introduces true crime aficionado Stephanie "Stevie" Bell, a 16-year-old from Pittsburgh. She is beginning her first year at Ellingham Academy, a boarding school for talented kids who are allowed to study their chosen subjects with no limitations, financial or otherwise. Built by an eccentric gazillionaire in the 1930s, the school is located on a remote mountaintop in Vermont and features a plethora of hidden rooms, secret tunnels, trapdoors, and other playful hideaways. Stevie, who applied on a whim, is shocked by her acceptance there. She's determined to prove her worth at Ellingham by finally getting to the bottom of the "unsolvable" crime that rocked the school when it first opened. Not only were the founder's wife and child kidnapped, but the former was murdered as was an Ellingham Academy student. Little Alice Ellingham's body has never been found. Although a man was convicted of the crimes, no one really believed he was guilty.

As Stevie studies the case on-site, strange things start happening on campus, things that mirror what occurred back in the 30s. When a student is murdered, it sends shockwaves through the place anew. Has the "Truly Devious" killer struck again? Or is someone playing a macabre game of copycat? Stevie vows to solve all the murders, past and present. Can she do it?

Spoiler alert: Yes, she can. 

The Vanishing Stair begins shortly after Stevie solves her classmate's murder. Even though the killer has been identified, they're in the wind. Convinced Ellingham Academy is not safe, Stevie's parents pull her out of school and make her come home, where she's miserable in her soul-sucking public school. A powerful figure intervenes, allowing her return to Ellingham. For a price. Stevie makes a deal with the devil that makes her very uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she's thrilled to return to the only place she's ever felt truly at home.

Stevie resumes her investigation into the murders that occurred at Ellingham in the 1930s. While doing so, she discovers the dead body of another classmate. Why were they killed? When another strange death happens in nearby Burlington, Stevie's certain they're connected—not just to each other but also to the Ellingham cold case. Can she get to the bottom of things before she loses someone else she cares about?

In the last book of the main trilogy—The Hand on the Wall—a series of disturbing events, plus the threat of an oncoming blizzard lead to the closure of Ellingham Academy. Despite the danger, Stevie and her friends do not want to leave. It's crazy to stay with a dangerous storm on the way not to mention a murderer running loose, but Stevie's convinced she can solve the Ellingham murders and figure out how everything that's happening in the present connects with them if only she can get a little more time. Hiding out so they don't have to leave, Stevie & Co. remain at Ellingham. As tension rises, putting them all at risk, Stevie pushes herself to puzzle out all the answers. Can she do it before they all run out of time?

Spoiler alert: Yes, she can.

After Stevie solves the Ellingham case, which has stumped investigators for decades, she becomes a bit of a sensation. In The Box in the Woods, she's home in Pittsburgh for the summer, prepared to die of boredom sans friends and without a puzzling case to keep her busy brain occupied. When she receives a tantalizing invitation to work at Camp Wonder Falls, she's immediately interested. It's not because she loves the outdoors (she doesn't), but because the rebranded summer camp was the site of a notorious quadruple murder back in the 1970s. The camp's new owner, an offbeat podcaster, wants Stevie to investigate the cold case so he can feature it on a show he's producing. Stevie's game.

Summoning her besties from Ellingham, Stevie and the reunited gang began their investigation. As they talk to residents of the nearby town who knew the victims, Stevie becomes more and more confused. Why would someone brutally kill four teenaged camp counselors? The kids weren't saints, but they hardly seem like the kind of people who would inspire the amount of rage that was unleashed on them. 

When one of the people helping Stevie dies in a suspicious accident, it becomes quickly apparent that someone knows what really happened the night the kids were killed and that they will do the unthinkable to make sure the truth never comes to light. If Stevie doesn't stop nosing into the past, she might be next. Can she solve the case before she becomes the next camp counselor to die? 

It's natural while reading a series to like some installments more than others. That's true of the Truly Devious books for me, but overall, it's a very well-crafted series. The characters are fresh and likable (my favorite is Nate, by the by), the mysteries are twisty and compelling, the boarding school setting is intriguing and appealing, and Johnson's prose is skilled and upbeat. I found all of the books engrossing, which explains why I buzzed through them so quickly. In every instance, I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen next. Johnson did not disappoint. 

I believe The Box in the Woods is the last book in the Truly Devious series. While it offers a satisfying conclusion to the series, it definitely leaves room for more installments. I am 100% up for that, although I'm still waiting for Johnson to finish the Shades of London series...

Grade:

Although the installments vary in content, if they were movies, all would be rated:

Do you have certain time periods or places that you avoid in your reading?  Settings that, for whatever reason, just don't really appeal to you?  I for sure do.  Ancient Rome being one of them, I was naturally reluctant to give Jennifer A. Nielsen's middle grade Mark of the Thief series a go.  If it hadn't been for a book award gig I'm involved in, I probably would not have bothered.  In an effort to do a thorough judging job, however, I read not just the latest and greatest book in the trilogy, but also the first two.  And you know what?  Overall, I enjoyed them.
Nic Calva is no longer a slave, but he's still very much trapped.  With the power of the gods running through his veins, he's become a pawn in the war over Rome.  The Praetors, a secretive group determined to possess Nic's magical amulet, won't leave him alone.  With his mother in their possession, Nic can't afford to ignore their threats.  Finally, he makes them an offer they can't refuse—Nic will enter a chariot race, competing against the area's best riders and using no magic.  If he wins, the Praetors release his mother and let Nic go free.  If he loses, he will give up the powerful amulet so tenaciously sought after by the Praetors.  With very little experience driving a chariot, Nic has everything to lose.  Even with loyal friends by his side, it's a race that can't be won, especially since he insists on playing fair, a vow his competitors certainly won't honor.  Does Nic have even a sliver of a chance?  Or will he lose everything on a foolish gamble he never should have taken?

Jennifer Allison made her way onto my TBR mountain chain (which is actually a color-coded, obsessively-organized Excel file) when I read a review of her first book on Amanda's blog. After one unsuccessful attempt to locate it at my library, I forgot all about the author and her series about Gilda Joyce, a 13-year-old sleuth who uses her psychic abilities to solve mysteries. Then, the librarian at my kids' school asked me to read Allison's sophomore novel and create a test on it for the school's homegrown reading program. Since I hate reading series books out of order, I requested the first book from the library. After a brief wait, I finally had both books in my hands. It took me about a day and a half to speed through them, a half hour to write tests, and a couple minutes to request the next two books from the library. It's always a thrill to find a compelling new series.